Nightingale, Herriott earn trip to Portland

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Sometimes the daring move pays off. But that’s why it is called a gamble, because odds are taking that chance will backfire.

Drew White of Festus rolled the dice Sunday at the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional when he broke away from the pack early in the race. He built a sizeable lead that he couldn’t maintain and fell through the standings as the runners came down the final straightaway.

Samantha Nightingale of Blue Springs South enjoyed the opposite fortune when she tagged along with Illinois state champion Amanda Fox in the girls championship race, and Nightingale powered her way to a second-place finish and a spot at nationals.

Normally a front-runner, White is used to being at the head of the pack. However, the conditions at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course were made difficult by 30 mph sustained winds. Once White broke from the pack, he had no refuge from the gusts and could not rely on anyone to act as a shield.

“That was not my strategy at all; I just felt so good,” White said. “I started leaving them, and at that point I was already committed.”

Just as White extended the gap to nearly 20 meters, Cape Girardeau Central’s Billy Leighton made a move and joined White up front.

“He helped pull me along for a fast second mile, but then a couple guys started catching up to us and I was out of gas by then,” Leighton said. “I’m just glad I went for it; that’s the most fun I’ve ever had racing.”

One of the nation’s top-ranked runners and national title contender Futsum Zeinasellassie of North Central High in Indianapolis made his move with just under a mile left in the race. He promptly overtook White and Leighton, and Zeinasellassie then built his own ever-widening gap over the field.

Once Zeinasellassie made his move, White said he knew the race had gotten away from him.

“After he passed me, you get that thing in your mind,” White said. “At the same time, automatically, somehow, your legs start feeling bad. I think it’s a mental thing too along with fighting the wind by myself.

“My legs just locked up and I couldn’t move them anymore. Being out there by myself for about a mile and a half, I think that really shot me.”

White, who won the Class 3 state title last week, held on as best he could and finished 17th in 16:19. Leighton, who was 11th in Class 4, slipped to 38th (16:27).

Zeinasellassie won the Indiana state championship on the same course two weeks prior, setting a high school course record of 14:48. The wind prevented him from approaching that time again, but he built a 14-second margin over second place with his winning time of 15:42.

While Zeinasellassie was making his move, Rockhurst’s Zach Herriott was shadowing his ascent. Herriott used the other competitors to block the wind as much as he could before moving up in the final kilometer to capture fourth place with a 16:00.

“I knew it was going to be bad before the race, so my goal was to draft off of somebody and hopefully be able to separate from the guys that took a lot of the wind,” Herriott said. “I knew if I was out front like last week I didn’t stand a chance. I’d stay behind somebody when the wind was coming at us. We’d turn to where the wind was at our back and I’d go around them – just picking people off and it worked great.”

That assured Herriott of a spot at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 3.

“I remembered all summer, all I’ve been training for is to win a state title and go to nationals. I didn’t get the state title, but going to nationals is amazing. I think by doing this I came out and proved that wasn’t my best effort last week.”

Missouri Class 4 champion Caleb Wilfong battled to an 18th-place finish, which helped boost his Rock Bridge team into fifth in the standings with 228 points – the highest of any Missouri squad. Rockhurst took seventh with 290. The top two teams – Illinois’ York and Ohio’s Columbus North -- advance to the national meet.

Scott City’s Brandon Shemonia, the Class 2 state champion, entered the race keen on the challenge and hoping for a top 25 finish. He did that and more, capturing 21st (16:21) for the last medalist spot.

Missouri Class 1 champion, Kaleb Wilson of Linn, said the race was a little bit of a shock. Wilson is accustomed to the smaller races in Class 1 and admitted to being a little intimidated.

“That was definitely not a Class 1 race; it was a rude awakening,” said Wilson, who still has plans to run at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional in Kenosha, Wis., in two weeks. “I definitely won’t start out as fast as I did.”

Nightingale started fast and finished fast. She positioned herself in the first lead group of about five girls, and when Fox made a move, Nightingale was there every time. The pair separated from the rest of the field and battled back-and-forth for the lead throughout the second half of the race.

The two were side-by-side coming down the final 400 meters to the finish line. Fox had one little extra kick left and beat out Nightingale by a stride 18:09.1 to 18:09.9.

“I led for a little bit, then she’d lead for a little bit; it was a really hard race, but she beat me so I have to give it to her,” Nightingale said. “Taking second to a great competitor, I’ll take it. I’m going to Portland, so I’m perfectly fine with how I am right now.”

And although the conditions weren’t ideal, Nightingale said she felt prepared after last week’s Class 4 title run.

“Last week was pretty windy at state so that helped me here,” Nightingale said.

Jefferson City’s Conradette King was in that initial pack of five girls through the early part of the race. She slipped back to 22nd (19:21) and was the second Missouri runner to cross the finish line.

The top Class 2 Missouri girls were packed together once again. Herculaneum’s Kaitlyn Fischer led the trio in 39th (19:47), and Class 2 champion Saga Barzowski of Arcadia Valley was 48th (19:53). Courtney Rogers of Lutheran-St. Charles, who was third at state, was 50th (19:54).

“It was tougher than I imagined it would be,” Barzowski said. “This was the first time I’ve been out here. I’m kind of just using this as training. It’s a fun race.

“It’s good to have so many runners. I come from a small town where running is weird. I like coming up here and having the atmosphere and having a good time with all the other runners.”

Missouri did have a race champion in Joe Walton. The Park Hill senior, who is running cross country for the first time, took first in the open division in 16:20. That would have placed him 20th in the championship race.

“I didn’t want to end my season at state, so I came out to compete one last time,” said Walton, who was a soccer play prior to opting for cross country as a senior. “I just wanted to come out and have fun. I like competing against big crowds like this.”